Hypnosis #1 -- The Second Version
by Ctarsis
Summary: I rewrote Hypnosis #1...this is much shorter, but I like it better :)


  
  


* * *

**Chapter One -- Jake**

* * *

  
  
There was an "urgent" meeting at the barn. At least, Erek had assured us that it was urgent. We were just lounging around, waiting.

Erek showed up quickly. There was something between a smile and a frown on his holographic face.

"I have news," he said.

"Yes?"

"The Yeerks have discovered Elfangor's hirac delest, his final statement, et cetera," he informed us. "They believe that they can recreate Elfangor from his memories."

There was a stunned silence.

=Bring him back?= Ax said with something unlike his normal, aloof manner.

=Bring him back?= Tobias echoed.

The emotions were understandable. He was Ax's brother and Tobias's father, after all. But I was focused on something else.

"His memories?" I repeated. "MEMORIES?! Excuse me, but there are two problems. 1) They'll just make him a Controller, 2) his MEMORIES INCLUDE GIVING US THE POWER TO MORPH!"

"That would be not good," Marco said. "No one except the Yeerks will gain anything. Sorry, Ax, Tobias, but which do you think would be worse for Elfangor: death or Controllerhood?"

Neither of them responded.

"There is one piece of good news," Erek said. "That is that, to recreate him, they cannot view the hirac delest. However, once Elfangor is back, they will infest him. And then the memories will be all too clear."

"Deadline," Rachel said. "When are they going to carry it out?"

"In about a week."

=So, in other words, we keep him dead,= Tobias said bitterly.

I hesitated. I could still remember him. He had been a great warrior, and he had died after stopping me from getting my self killd to save him. He had saved our lives and given Earth hope.

But the risk was too great. Silence reigned until Erek sighed. "The hirac delest is down in the Yeerk pool. To recover it, you will have to go down there."

"Goodie," Marco muttered. "What happened to the good old days when the only real threat was the school bully?"

I sighed. "Marco, at this point in the Yeerk invasion, the school bully is probably a Controller."

"That's a sobering thought," he replied.

All of us glanced at Tobias, at Ax. To my surprise, Ax was glowering at me.

=I have but one word to say to you, _Prince_ Jake,= he said in an angry tone. The emphasis he put on the word "prince" was a subtle hint that he blamed me for the "continued death" of his brother. =You humans accused us, the Andalites, of treating you as inferiors aboard the Ascalin. And yet you, who have a Controller as a brother, would ensure the death of mine.=

Cassie laid his hand on his arm, trying to calm him down (although the very thing that made his words so awful was that his tone, while angry, was also calm). "We have no choice, Ax," she said. "There is nothing else that we can do."

He jerked away, angry and frustrated.

=When the question was about your father, Jake, I was all for risking our lives to save him,= Tobias reminded me. =And now that it is mine, you would destroy him.=

"He's already dead!" I cried, stung by their words.

=But it may not be permanent.=

A silence fell over us. Marco broke it. "When do we do it?"

"Tomorrow night," I said, ignoring the angry stares from Tobias and Ax.

"Tonight," Rachel countered. "Let's just do this. Do it, and get it over with."

"I agree," I said finally. "Tonight."

I had the feeling, looking at Ax and Tobias, that I had just lost two friends.

  
  


* * *

**Chapter Two -- Ax**

* * *

  
  
I knew that it had to be done. I understood that. I could see their point.

But after remembering him for around a year, knowing him all my life, and missing him so much, I didn't care.

It had to be done. I resigned myself to the fact. I resigned myself, feeling anger boiling up furiously. Perhaps it was not true resignation, but merely a resolve to wait.

_Wait until tonight,_ I told myself. _Then, if they are wrong and there is some way to save him..._

There would be nothing for any of us to do.

And, I admitted to myself, Elfangor would have preferred death to being a Controller. I knew that. Deep in my hearts, I knew that his fate was to remain dead, that there was no use in fighting it.

I fought it anyway.

We met in the woods. Almost nothing was said between any of us. All of them had known Elfangor, if only for a moment. None of them relished the fact that his life was beyond restoration if they were to remain alive.

He was already dead --why let him live again, only to ensure the death (or worse, slavery) of others? Why bring him back only for a fate worse than death? Why doom the entire universe --and gain nothing?

_To see him one last time,_ some part of me whispered. I shoved it away. It was not worth it.

We flew in silence, owls (or, in Tobias's case, hawk) soaring up in the night air. We had nothing to say. Not even Tobias and I spoke to each other.

=There's the entrance,= Jake said finally.

I hated him at that moment.

We swooped down to land near a large tree in the woods. Rachel and Tobias had once seen it open, revealing an entrance to the Yeerk pool. All that remained was to find a way to open it.

=There,= Cassie said. =That large, red thing.=

I was closest to it. I did not move.

Marco punched it with a talon. The tree slid to the side.

The plan was to demorph and remorph --or simply demorph, for Tobias and me. We waited until the others were done.

We all crept down the stairs.

"ANDALITES!"

The cry seemed to lacerate the cold air of the underground cavern. People sprang into action, pulling out Dracon beams, organizing Hork-Bajir.

Erek had told us where this hirac delest device could be found. Jake would find it and destroy it.

I wondered if I'd destroy Tom. I wondered if I would be able to return his decision to him.

Jake took off in his tiger form. I sliced at a Hork-Bajir, taking out all my rage on the Yeerks running towards us.

=Should have done stealth,= Cassie said tensely.

I ignored her. I turned to the next Hork-Bajir as the other fell. There were many to be killed. There was little time.

=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!=

=Jake!= Cassie yelped. She shot off in the direction that he had gone in.

GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOWAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!

"Die, hruthin, die!"

A mix of Hork-Bajir and English. Hruthin meant Andalite. Obviously Jake was not in a good situation.

TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

Rachel dropped! The massive grizzly slumped to the ground as it roared weakly. It almost immediately passed out.

TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

Flump.

Tobias's hawk body hit the ground not two feet from her. He dropped without making a sound.

=Aaaaaaahhhhh!=

=Cassie?!=

I could hear Jake's voice. A wolf bounded out of the room, followed closely by a tiger.

TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

Both of them slumped to the floor.

=Not a good thing,= Marco moaned. We backed almost into each other as the Hork-Bajir hemmed us in.

TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

He let out a startled yelp and sank to the ground. I alone was left.

TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

* * *

  
  
I woke up in what felt like less than a second. Of course, since we Andalites can keep track of time, I realized that it was definitely not less than a second.

I was in a small cage with thick bars. Looking around with my stalk eyes, I could see the others in identical cages (although Tobias's was much smaller).

[Ax?] Tobias said urgently.

[Yes, Tobias?]

[Good. You're awake. None of the others are, yet. Obviously, we have problems.]

[Obviously,] I agreed. I hesitated. [Did Prince Jake get the hirac delest?]

Tobias's tone sounded bitter. [I don't know.]

He didn't say anything more.

[I wonder how much longer we have until we are infested,] I said as calmly as I could. My stalk eyes swept to the large Hork-Bajir, all armed with Dracons, standing around our cages. [Probably not long.]

"Assign Visser Six to guard with you," a tall human passing by barked out.

"Yes, Visser Five," a Hork-Bajir returned. He left, presumably to get Visser Six.

[Great. Just great,] Tobias muttered.

I said nothing. I just followed the Hork-Bajir with my eyes.

[Anyone else awake?] Jake said suddenly. The tiger stretched in the cage.

[Ax and I are,] Tobias said coldly.

Suddenly the Hork-Bajir reappeared. With him was a human girl.

Her green eyes swept over us. "These are the _Andalite_ bandits?" she said with a small laugh.

"Yes, Visser Six."

"Very well. I can handle them myself. Take the Hork-Bajir away."

I was astonished. That was a very strange thing.

"_Gahisli hfir_ --"

"Don't question me, fool," she said. She turned to him.

Her eyes glowed with an unearthly light. Neon green shone from them.

It reflected in the Hork-Bajir's eyes. He moved as though in a dream, calling the other Hork-Bajir away.

She laughed and turned to us. "Hello, my little Andalites. Or are some of you not Andalites?" She looked directly at Jake.

He said nothing.

"Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't expose you." She glared at him. Her eyes glowed.

[Prince Jake!] I yelled. [Look away!]

[Can't...caaaaan't...]

Her eyes darkened. "Jake. Jake ________. I assume that you're the leader of the group. The leader of Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Marco, and Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill."

[WHAT?!]

She smiled in satisfaction. "I take that as a 'yes.' "

[Who is that?!] Rachel roared in private thought-speak.

[You heard her?] Tobias said grimly.

She surveyed us with those eyes that were so powerful. "You shouldn't be so afraid. After all, I sent the Hork-Bajir away, didn't I?"

[What are you?] I said as calmly as I could. [You are not human.]

She laughed. "I look like a human. How could I be anything else?" She smiled. "Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. By all rights I should let you all be infested. After all, the sooner the Yeerks take the humans, the sooner they'll get around to those cursed Andalites." Fury raced over her features. "Cursed Andalites." It was gone just as suddenly. "And then, in turn, the Yeerks will be defeated."

[You are an agent of Crayak, are you not?] That was all she could be. Crayak cared for neither the Andalites nor the Yeerks, though the Yeerks were more convenient for him now.

"Crayak? No. I'm independent of any race." She laughed a hissing laugh. Her eyes sparkled. "So, the question is, do I let you be infested or not?"

[It's a trick, it has to be!] Marco shouted. In private thought-speak.

Good, he was conscious. Cassie was, as well. [No way she lets us escape,] she agreed.

"Let me introduce myself while I consider my options. My name is Cat." She toyed with a Dracon beam for a few seconds, then looked up. "Against my better judgment...well, Andalite, I suggest you duck."

She fired.

I ducked. At least I wouldn't be infested. I'd be killed.

Then I noticed that she wasn't firing at me. She was firing at the cage.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?!?!?!" Visser Five roared, racing toward her.

She whirled around. "Come one step closer, Kilan, and your atoms will be floating through the air," she said cheerfully.

Kilan was the host's name, I assumed. She turned back to me and fried a neat hole in the side of the cage. I leaped through.

She tossed me the Dracon beam. "Get your human friends out. I'll keep them busy."

[Thank you,] I said calmly.

"No problem." She glanced at the Hork-Bajir advancing.

"Little Hork-Bajir," she purred. "You imagine that you could stand against me?"

[What is she, insane?!] Marco wondered.

"Come closer. Or are you afraid?"

I watched her with my stalk eyes as Tobias flapped out and I turned the Dracon beam on Cassie's cage.

Her eyes glowed dangerously. "Or do you think you should go throw yourselves into the pool?"

Suddenly the entire army of Hork-Bajir started diving for the pool.

The Animorphs gaped.

Cat laughed. "Anyone who wants to join them, feel free."

The other Animorphs were out by that time. She picked up a Dracon beam that one of the Hork-Bajir had dropped and threw it to Marco. "It will come in handy in a few moments. Follow me."

For some strange reason, we did.

  
  


* * *

**Chapter Three -- Rachel**

* * *

  
  
I had no clue why we were following her. Maybe just the fact that she was our best bet. More Hork-Bajir were surging towards us.

Marco whirled and fired. I noticed that he'd set the beam to stun.

"Fool," Cat murmured. "You should have left it on maximum. They're no longer afraid."

It was true. Hork-Bajir who had hung back were running faster.

"Take that exit," she said, pointing. "You'll end up by the water tower. I'll be there soon. Maybe."

[We're not leaving you,] I said. It might have sounded nice. But the true reason was that if she was a Controller playing a game, she couldn't be allowed to reach the other Yeerks with what she knew about us; if she wasn't, she couldn't be allowed to be taken.

"Rachel. Go."

She knew my name. That still shocked me.

[What do we do?] Marco asked Jake.

[No choice. Marco, grab her.]

Marco grabbed for her arm and started dragging her with us.

She growled angrily. A deep, throaty sound. Marco jerked in spite of himself.

"Let. Go. Of. Me. Now."

[No,] Marco said in a calm tone.

[I'll handle it,] I said, moving forward. I grabbed her other arm tightly. It would be too much of a risk to let her escape.

"Rachel. Marco. Release my arms immediately," she said in an angry-yet-calm tone.

[I'm thinking no,] Marco retorted.

He turned to look at her.

Her eyes glowed.

[MARCO!] I yelled. [NO!]

He slowly released her. She turned to look at me.

I was fascinated. Her eyes were so bright...

She wanted me to release her arm. Why shouldn't I?

"Thank you oh-so-much," she sneered as she pulled away. "That's it, I'm mad, I think it's time to switch sides." She grinned fiercely. "Maybe the Yeerks were right about you after all..."

I felt myself becoming me again. I screamed at her. [WHAT WERE YOU DOING?]

Marco dropped the Dracon beam in a dreamlike motion. She picked it up.

We all froze. We'd crossed the line. A very, very dumb thing to do.

"You six are so lucky," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Just run. And mess with me..." She thumbed the beam up to maximum and pointed it at me. "Get. Lost. Now."

  
  


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**Chapter Four -- Cat**

* * *

  
  
I definitely should have killed them for it. After all, I was the one who got them out of there alive. Alive and uninfested. And what do they do? Try to capture me!

Fools.

I watched them charge up the stairs. By all rights I should destroy them. Have them infested. It would hasten the doom of the Andalites. Of course, then it would be harder to destroy the Yeerks.

But I'd manage it. I always did.

I covered them until they were out of the Yeerk pool. They used the dropshaft. I wondered how safe it would be to go up there. I really didn't need them killing me.

But I'd handle it. I smiled to myself as I Draconed a Hork-Bajir. I'd definitely handle it.

And then, when these "Andalite bandits" had outgrown their usefulness...

I moved the switch down to stun. My eyes glowed. The Hork-Bajir began to fall back.

"You will all remain here," I said loudly. "Stay here."

Every one of them nodded slowly. Suddenly I saw an Andalite charge towards me.

"Hello, Visser Three," I purred.

[You...TRAITOR!]

"I'm not a Controller, idiot, so how could I be a traitor? I was never on your side!"

He hesitated. I blasted him with a Dracon beam. He fell, unconscious.

I'd kill him later. For now, I had some new tools. Several new tools. Six of them.

By name: Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Marco, Aximili.

I didn't know if I could use my _xilinni_ power on Andalites. But I was going to find out.

I looked around. I was looking for Cairo, my sister -- but that was stupid. She wasn't a Controller anymore. She still thought I was.

I had been a Controller. I'd given everyone the impression that I was involuntary. The truth was that the Yeerk died after three days away from the pool.

It didn't figure out that it couldn't control me until the third day. And it was too late.

I'd learned much about the Yeerks that were such foes to me, personally. They didn't know who I was. They never would. Not until I allowed them to remember the past. And then...they'd DIE.

The Andalites would die as well. The old saying, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" did not apply to those two races. They had always been my enemies.

I stepped into the dropshaft and cocked the Dracon beam so I would be ready to shoot. I didn't trust the Animorphs, but that was okay. I had far more power than they ever would.

I stepped out into the Earth air and ducked.

The tiger soared over my head and hit the ground.

"Hi, everyone," I said with a secretive smile. "Well, well, well. Maybe I should have left you down there."

I raised the Dracon beam. They still thought it was on maximum. I could tell. "Demorph. All of you. Now."

Slowly they demorphed. All except the hawk and the Andalite. I turned my eyes on the hawk.

I probed deep into his eyes. Why didn't he demorph?

I nodded. "Of course. You're a morph-capable nothlit. You've had contact with the Ellimist."

Just his name stirred up memories in my mind. The evil, sickening creature.

"What do you want?" Marco snapped.

I surveyed them. Jake, measuring the odds, remaining calm. Rachel, defiant. Tobias, with the always intense stare of the hawk. Cassie, trying to understand me. Trying to figure me out. Marco, skeptical and mistrustful. Aximili, tense, ready, calm.

Of all of them, either Rachel or Aximili would pose the greatest threat.

Of course, I had the Dracon beam. But didn't Aximili have...one...too...?

I whirled around to find myself staring at a Dracon beam.

[Release the Dracon beam,] Aximili commanded.

"I don't think so," I said cockily. "Sorry, but no."

My brain searched for a way to escape if he pulled the trigger. It was set to stun (an insult, actually).

Stun? Excuse me? Like they could stop me?

That was it.

I could feel Tobias swooping towards me, aiming for the Dracon beam. I grinned, reached up, yanked him down, and placed my foot on his bird body.

"Fire that and I'll still have time to take him out."

They froze. Again.

"Drop. The. Dracon. Beam."

For some strange reason, he did.

I considered my options. I did the most surprising thing I could think of: I released Tobias and the Dracon beam.

"Hi. I'm Cat."

  
  


* * *

**Epilogue -- Cassie**

* * *

  
  
I couldn't read inside her, like I could with most humans. That was only proved when she released Tobias.

"Hi. I'm Cat."

"You know who we are," I replied. "The question is, how?"

She smiled. "What would I gain by telling you?"

She looked around. "So. You're the famed Andalite bandits."

Jake nodded. "Correct."

Suddenly he hesitated. He held out something small, something shiny, and dropped it into Ax's hand.

"The hirac delest."

Ax looked surprised. [You were going to destroy it.]

"Keep it. Perhaps one day it can be used." He made a small smile.

I sent a glance around the group and met Jake's eyes. We had no other options with this "Cat" person. We couldn't just say "Bye" and hope the Yeerks didn't find out what she knew.

Jake nodded at my expression. "Yes," he said. He turned to Cat. "Welcome to the Animorphs.

She smiled. I didn't like that smile.

I hoped to learn more about her. Because, personally, I didn't trust her.

One day I would learn more about her.

I'd learn more about her power than I wanted to know.

Like just how much she had.


End file.
